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DeSales and Character U to Host Twin Towers Hero Jay Jonas

by
Kara Moran '13 | Sep 17, 2012

Jay Jonas, deputy chief, New York City Fire Department

On Wednesday, September 26, Jay Jonas, deputy chief in the New York City Fire Department and 9/11 survivor, will speak at DeSales University. The lecture will be delivered at 3:00 p.m. in the Commonwealth Room of the DeSales University Center and is free and open to the public.

On September 11, 2001, Jonas was the Captain of Ladder Co. 6 and was one of the first responding units to the World Trade Center. Jonas and his unit were rescuing a woman from the north tower when it collapsed: only 20 people who were still inside the Twin Towers when they collapsed would ultimately survive.

During his 30-year career with the FDNY, Chief Jonas has been published several times in professional publications, and was the author of procedures for the New York City Fire Department to rescue trapped firefighters. He has also appeared on NBC Dateline and the Miracle of Ladder Co. 6 and has appeared in the documentaries “Miracles in our Midst” and
“The Miracle of Stairway B.” Jonas has also been the recipient of the Bishop’s Cross, given by the Bishop of the New York Diocese of the Episcopal Church, as well as a “Men of the Year Award” from The Men’s World Day Organization in Vienna, Austria.

Character U, the first-year portion of the DeSales University Experience, is sponsoring Jonas’s visit. Character U serves as a resource for first-year students to help make the transition from high school to college a little smoother, while also giving students character development opportunities through keynote speakers, diverse programs, campus events and meetings with their peer mentors.

For more information, contact Chad Serfass, director for DeSales Experience in Character and Leadership, at 610-282-1100, ext. 1599.